Zebras toy with Clarence and then destroy them

Photo:  Zebras' Lachie Burt has a dig at goal [PlessPix]

Hobart Zebras made light work of Clarence United in their pre-season friendly at KGV Park tonight, running out 9-0 winners.

Zebras dominated possession and used long diagonal balls to the wings to open up the Clarence defence.

The Zebras fullbacks, Riley Dillon and Ryu Yonezawa, were able to push forward at will and increase the pressure on their opponents.

Indeed, Dillon opened the scoring for Zebras on the quarter-hour with an excellent dipping free-kick from the edge of the box.

His pass then set up Jordan Muller for Zebras’ second in the 27^th minute.

Photo:  Clarence's Sam Cannamela and Zebras' Ryu Yonezawa go for the ball [PlessPix]

On the half-hour, Matthew Pace made it 3-0 from James Ackerley’s right-wing cross.

Dillon netted his second goal and Zebras’ fourth in the 33^rd minute.

It was Dillon’s corner that led to Zebras’ fifth goal on the half-hour.  Centre-backs Jan Charuza and Luke Bighin, who were often left alone at the back as their fullbacks pressed high, came up for the corner and Charuza’s first touch enabled Bighin to help the ball into the net from close range.

The second half was just as bad for a Clarence outfit that had Adam Hedge back at centre-forward.

Photo:  Clarence's Adam Hedge (left) challenges Zebras' Luke Bighin [PlessPix]

Sam Cannamela also played for Clarence after an absence of five or so years and he battled hard in midfield for the 90 minutes.

Zebras brought on substitute Luke Huigsloot for the second half and he bagged a hat-trick to announce his presence.

Huigsloot headed Zebras’ sixth goal within 3 minutes of the restart after Dillon’s corner.

In the 56^th minute, substitute Adam McKeown was unable to bring a difficult ball played high into the box under control, but a touch forced it to Huigsloot, who took his tally to two goals and made it 7-0 for Zebras.

Photo:  Zebras' skipper Jayden Hey shields the ball from Clarence midfielder Sam Cannamela [PlessPix]

McKeown, who is coming back after a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last season, was almost cut in half at one stage by a tackle from Liam Marsh.

Mckeown survived and, later in the game, returned the favour but received a yellow card for his tackle on Marsh.

McKeown got on the score-sheet in the 72^nd minute when he finished clinically from close range on the left to make it 8-0.

Photo:  Zebras' signing from Box Hill in Victoria, Nicky Edwards (left), cuts in towards goal [PlessPix]

A minute later, Huigsloot completed his hat-trick and made the final score 9-0.

In the closing minutes, Clarence did create a couple of half-chances, but they were unable to make the most of them.

Zebras might easily have doubled their tally.

In the first half, they were repeatedly caught off-side, while in the second half, they also fell foul of the off-side flag but also squandered excellent chances by blazing high over the bar or wide.

Clarence can be thankful that it was only 9-0.

Photo:  Clarence keeper Jake French makes a save against his former club [PlessPix]

Photo:  Zebras' Luke Huigsloot and Clarence's Chris Kannegiesser seem mesmerised by the ball [PlessPix]

Photo:  Jordan Muller receives the congratulations of his team-mates after scoring [PlessPix]